The Star: May 18, 2017
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14 Thursday <strong>May</strong> <strong>18</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong><br />
Hospital car parking<br />
Readers respond to last<br />
week’s article on whether<br />
Hagley Park’s Hospital<br />
Corner could be used to<br />
temporary alleviate the<br />
Christchurch Hospital car<br />
parking crisis<br />
Glenis Haley – For many<br />
years now, I have been at a loss<br />
to understand why Hagley Park<br />
has not been mooted as a car<br />
park for patients and visitors<br />
at the Christchurch Hospital.<br />
Obviously the ‘powers that be’<br />
have never been either a patient,<br />
especially on an outpatient basis,<br />
or a visitor to very sick friends or<br />
relatives.<br />
My husband and I have,<br />
unfortunately, been regular outpatients<br />
attending Christchurch<br />
Hospital over the past years and<br />
parking our vehicle has become<br />
a real nightmare, especially since<br />
the earthquakes and the new<br />
construction on the site.<br />
Recently, we have been using<br />
the Park and Ride car park in<br />
Deans Ave, but it is not always<br />
satisfactory for us elderly people,<br />
especially when it is raining<br />
and the puddles in the car park<br />
are very deep and the surface is<br />
definitely not fit for purpose. <strong>The</strong><br />
wait for the shuttle (at both ends)<br />
is not convenient for the sick and<br />
elderly either.<br />
I feel very passionate about the<br />
use of part of Hagley Park opposite<br />
the hospital for parking, even<br />
if it is only on a temporary basis<br />
until enough permanent parks<br />
can be supplied.<br />
A decision on this proposal is<br />
required urgently especially as<br />
winter is upon us and the problem<br />
seems to be getting worse.<br />
Jenny Williams – Hagley<br />
Park should absolutely not be<br />
used for temporary hospital<br />
parking. Already the park has<br />
been eroded for the new hospital<br />
building. Hagley Park should<br />
be sacrosanct and not gradually<br />
eaten away, whether it is for a<br />
permanent or temporary car<br />
park. <strong>The</strong>re is plenty of room in<br />
the old sale yards.<br />
In addition, many trees in<br />
that area of the park were lost<br />
following the earthquake, we<br />
can’t afford to lose more due to<br />
compaction over their root area<br />
that is likely to be caused by cars.<br />
Shirley Coffey – I think<br />
we should be building a new<br />
multi-storied car park on Hagley<br />
Park. It should be plant covered<br />
and have a roof top garden that<br />
is open to all to use. This would<br />
also help to cover parking for<br />
sports at the park.<br />
Don’t just do a temporary fix<br />
build something that we can all<br />
enjoy for its plant covered beauty<br />
and show us the way some of the<br />
big cities in this world can make<br />
beautiful green spaces from what<br />
would be an ugly building.<br />
Phyllis Parker – I think<br />
Hagley Park should be used for<br />
temporary parking. We need<br />
a safe place for nursing staff to<br />
park and relieve the stress of<br />
finding a park to visit loved ones.<br />
It can be returned to its park<br />
setting in the future. Since the<br />
earthquakes we as Cantabrians<br />
are used to compromises. Just<br />
do it.<br />
Murray Spackman – If<br />
there is a possibility that a<br />
temporary arrangement could<br />
be arrived at that allows car<br />
parking closer to the hospital<br />
with say 120min limits to ensure<br />
that it is available for short-term<br />
visiting I believe it would be very<br />
beneficial for Christchurch while<br />
current rebuilding continues.<br />
This is currently a major<br />
issue for hospital visitors that<br />
would take some heat off the<br />
current car park on Deans Ave<br />
and would need to be available<br />
for three years at least until the<br />
current rebuild is finished. Well<br />
done for bringing this up for<br />
discussion.<br />
Shona Tooley – As an<br />
oncology patient I find that<br />
the parking is shocking at the<br />
hospital.<br />
We would love to see Hagley<br />
used for parking. Bad enough<br />
having to go there for appointments,<br />
finding a car park adds to<br />
the stress.<br />
Yes, yes, yes, we need the park.<br />
Mary Wynn-Williams – Yes<br />
I have wondered why no one has<br />
mentioned this before.<br />
It would be a brilliant temporary<br />
solution to the hospital<br />
parking problem.<br />
Diane Brenchley – No way<br />
. . . Hagley Park was a gift to<br />
the people of Christchurch for<br />
recreation not car parking. Yes<br />
I’ve had to park miles away to<br />
use the hospital too but still<br />
rather do that than start carving<br />
up our treasured park.<br />
Peggy Pickworth – Once<br />
they start on Hagley Park there<br />
will be no stopping them. Poor<br />
town planning is what has<br />
caused the problem. Why do we<br />
have to have a sport centre built<br />
so near the hospital. Ideal area<br />
for a car park.<br />
Steph Thorpe – I think<br />
if there is going to be temp<br />
carpark it needs to be for staff<br />
only and they need a pass,<br />
otherwise it will just be full of<br />
anyone working in the city that<br />
have to park further away at the<br />
moment (and I am not staff, just<br />
saying).<br />
Mike Smith – We have so<br />
much flat property land available.<br />
Make this a priority and<br />
allocate existing property land<br />
to it. Get your town planning<br />
right and it will be fine. Once<br />
converted from a park, there<br />
will be no going back . . . ever.<br />
Emma Reeves – Temporary<br />
parking was used in Hagley<br />
Park following the February 22,<br />
2011, earthquake its unfortunate<br />
this could not remain as it was<br />
ideal. <strong>The</strong>re is a huge area near<br />
the horticulture centre towards<br />
Deans Ave that is hiding behind<br />
the trees . . . there are huge dirt<br />
piles . . . would be ideal place for<br />
some parking and no one would<br />
really be able to see it from the<br />
road. Parking is definitely a huge<br />
issue for staff looking after your<br />
loved ones but also for relatives<br />
and patients who should not<br />
have to stress about finding a<br />
car park to visit their loved ones<br />
or attend appointments! This<br />
stressful issue needs sorting out.<br />
Staff do the best they can with<br />
either biking or taking the bus<br />
or like myself and park and do<br />
a 20min walk, but it’s less than<br />
ideal for shift workers.<br />
Cherry Cornelius – Yes for<br />
God’s sake yes, the only thing<br />
surprising about asking if it’s<br />
a good option is that it hadn’t<br />
been done years ago. Enough<br />
bloody talking and build a<br />
decent car park in Hagley Park.<br />
We need it desperately.<br />
Sarah Williams – I say yes.<br />
To many, Wilson car parking<br />
is a joke. Staff at Christchurch<br />
Hospital need this, and surveillance.<br />
How big is Hagley Park<br />
and, what if the have to give up<br />
some land for a “short time,” its<br />
land, do what’s right.<br />
Bernsa Laurie – Yes! <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is much more open red zone<br />
land that we could use as parks<br />
and sports grounds that have<br />
much better accessibility and<br />
parking. If you did it as a trade –<br />
one green area for another, that<br />
could work.<br />
Jill Allott – No. Hagley park<br />
needs to stay as a people park<br />
– forever! No temporary car<br />
parks there ever. For goodness<br />
sake . . . most of the rest of the<br />
old Christchurch is a car park.<br />
Never take a beautiful place and<br />
make it into a car park. Surely to<br />
goodness your planners have a<br />
modicum of planning.
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